The short answer: F11 on a Miele dishwasher is a drain fault and F70 is a water-level fault. F11 usually means a clogged filter, a blocked or kinked drain hose, or a jammed drain pump, and it often clears with an owner check. F70 points at the float and sensor, sometimes with water leaked into the base. Clean the filter, clear the hose and knockout, and check the float first. If the code returns, the pump or sensor needs a technician. Here is how to work through it before booking on North Fulton.
What F11 and F70 Are Telling You
Miele uses an F-code family across its G7000 and earlier dishwashers, and these two codes sit on opposite sides of the water system. F11 is the drain fault: the machine expected the water to be gone by a certain point in the cycle and it was not, so it stops and flags the drain path. F70 is a water-level or float fault: the machine detected the wrong amount of water in the tub, which can come from a stuck float, a slow leak into the base pan, or a level sensor reading wrong. Knowing which code you have tells you whether to look at the drain side or the fill side first.
F11 and F70 at a Glance
This table maps each code to the system it names, what it usually means, and the owner check that is safe to try before booking.
| Code | System | What It Means | Owner Check |
|---|---|---|---|
| F11 | Drain | Water did not pump out in time, usually a clogged filter, hose, or drain pump | Rinse the filter, straighten the hose, clear the disposal knockout, retry |
| F70 | Water level / float | The wrong water level was detected, from a stuck float, a base leak, or the sensor | Check the float moves freely, look for water in the base, then power cycle |
| Water stays in tub | Drain pump | The pump is jammed or failing, so the tub will not empty even with a clear filter | None; the drain pump needs testing by a technician |
| Both codes recur | Leak into base | Water reaching the base pan floats the safety float and trips repeated faults | Stop running the machine; a leak needs a technician to find and fix |
The filter, the drain hose, the knockout, and a stuck float are the owner-fixable causes worth working through first. A drain pump that stays jammed, or water leaking into the base pan, is naming hardware that needs a technician to test and fix.
If an F70 or a repeating F11 comes with water in the base pan under the dishwasher, treat it as a leak that has already started. Miele dishwashers have a safety float in the base that trips the machine when water reaches it, so a recurring code often means the base is wet. Do not keep restarting cycles, because that only feeds the leak toward the cabinet and floor. Turn the machine off, mop up what you can reach, and book a technician to find the source before running it again.
Working an F11 Step by Step
Because F11 is the code Johns Creek owners see most, it is worth the full walkthrough. First, if there is standing water in the tub, bail it out with a cup and a sponge so you can reach the base. Unscrew the filter assembly at the bottom of the tub, lift it out, and rinse it under the tap, checking the sump underneath for glass, food, or a bit of packaging that has been drawn in. Confirm the drain hose behind the machine is not kinked, and if the hose connects to a garbage disposal, make sure the knockout plug was removed and the port is clear. Reseat the filter, run a short cycle, and watch that the water drains. If F11 returns after all that, the drain pump is the likely fault and needs a technician.
When It Is the Pump, Float, or Sensor
When the filter is clean, the hose is clear, and the knockout is open but the code returns, the fault is in the hardware. A drain pump that is jammed with debris or has a failed motor will not empty the tub no matter how clean the filter is. A stuck float or a failed level sensor confuses the machine about how much water is in the tub, which is the heart of an F70. And a slow leak into the base pan trips the safety float and drives both codes to repeat. We test the pump, confirm the float moves freely, measure the level sensor, and find any leak before condemning a part, matching every replacement to your exact Miele model.
When to Book
Cleaning the filter, clearing the hose and knockout, and checking the float are the reasonable owner steps. Book a technician when F11 returns after the filter and hose are clear, when F70 comes with water in the base, when the tub will not empty, or when either code keeps repeating. The drain pump, the float, and the level sensor all need proper testing rather than guesswork. We fit model-specific Miele Genuine OEM Parts selected to your model, and every repair we complete in Johns Creek carries our Completed repairs include a 180-day repair warranty. Written terms are provided with the repair. Diagnostic and travel fees, if applicable, are confirmed before the appointment and before repair approval.